Saturday is grand opening for new library branch

After many months of planning, the Gloucester Point Library Branch will hold its grand opening Saturday morning beginning at 10 o’clock at its new location in the York River Crossing Shopping Center, Hayes.

Library director Diane Rebertus was on hand at a Gloucester Point town hall meeting hosted by county supervisor Bobby Crewe on Tuesday night at Abingdon Elementary School to explain some of the new features the library branch will have to offer.

"If you haven’t been down there, it is nice," Rebertus told the audience. The 3,900 square foot branch includes a dedicated computer room, and Rebertus said she hopes the branch will be able to offer computer lab classes through that space in the near future.

There is also a dedicated children’s room and a dedicated teens and tweens room. "They need their own space," she said.

In addition to those spaces, Rebertus said there are reading and studying areas to provide a quiet space for those activities.

One of the aspects of the new branch Rebertus said she is most excited about is the meeting room. "Other than the schools, there is no meeting space for community use," she said.

Though the space can only hold a little more than 20 people, Rebertus said there is a separate entrance into the area that can be sectioned off from the rest of the library for after hours use.

Another nice feature, she said is the location of the new branch. "At the intersection of Route 17 and Guinea Road, there is easy access and ample parking, and that’s really nice."